Letter: People want to use the trains but ...

Letters editor

Hunmanby Railway Station has seen a 90% increase in rail passengers over the past 10 years, through the involvement of the village, creating a pleasant station environment and promoting the train services. The highest increase for local stations between Hull and Scarborough.

The largest group of users of our station are young people under the age of 25, followed by older residents, often using the train to go to health appointments, or visiting relations.

To both these groups, an improved hourly train service from May 20, should be a great boost to access work, education and hospital. But as the train timetable is currently drafted, it will not provide these improvements. With train arrivals in Scarborough being poor for getting to work or hospital, lack of connections to TransPennine Express services to get to York or Leeds, and three trains not stopping at Hunmanby.

Those under 25 already are often in part time, zero hour contract work, and do not have the protection of the adult minimum wage. Few can afford to run a car without parent support.

Hunmanby has some of the highest levels of chronic illness in the country, with high numbers of residents requiring to travel to hospitals for treatment.

What about Filey? The lack of a connection at Seamer will have a negative impact on tourists arriving by train and local people travelling to York and beyond.

The new railway timetable has to be finalised by February 25, there is time for it to be improved to meet the needs of the Scarborough district.